As Cisco’s Chief Strategy Officer, Hilton Romanski is responsible for shaping corporate strategy to enable Cisco to anticipate and to lead major market transitions. In this role, Hilton also oversees strategic partnerships, mergers and acquisitions, the integration of new business models, the fostering of disruptive innovations, and the cultivation of world-class talent. A veteran of Cisco’s Corporate Development organization, Hilton has been responsible for nearly $20 billion in acquisitions across 40 deals, engineered Cisco’s 2013 divestiture of the Linksys home networking business, and was the driving force behind many of the innovative financial structures now represented in Cisco’s portfolio.

Hilton earned his M.B.A. from Stanford University and his B.A. from Columbia University.

About

Chief Strategy Officer

As Cisco’s Chief Strategy Officer, Hilton Romanski is responsible for shaping corporate strategy to enable Cisco to anticipate and to lead major market transitions. In this role, Hilton also oversees strategic partnerships, mergers and acquisitions, the integration of new business models, the fostering of disruptive innovations, and the cultivation of world-class talent. A veteran of Cisco’s Corporate Development organization, Hilton has been responsible for nearly $20 billion in acquisitions across 40 deals, engineered Cisco’s 2013 divestiture of the Linksys home networking business, and was the driving force behind many of the innovative financial structures now represented in Cisco’s portfolio.

Hilton earned his M.B.A. from Stanford University and his B.A. from Columbia University.

Rob Salvagno

Vice President

Rob Salvagno

Vice President

Rob Salvagno

Vice President

Regions

Australia and New Zealand

Canada

Central and Eastern Europe

Greater China

India

Israel

Japan

Latin America

Leadership

South Korea

US

Western Europe

Domains

Big Data

Cloud

Collaboration

Data Center and Storage

Enterprise Networking

Generalist

Internet of Things

Security and Security Services

Silicon

About

Head of Corporate Development and Cisco Investments

Rob leads the Corporate Development team at Cisco and is responsible for driving Cisco’s M&A and Corporate Venture Capital activity. A veteran of Cisco’s Corporate Development organization, Rob has executed dozens of acquisitions and investments, constructed its major spin-ins such as Nuova and Insieme and helped launch new innovation projects within Cisco.

Rob earned his B.A. in Economics from Stanford University.

Portfolio

About

Head of Corporate Development and Cisco Investments

Rob leads the Corporate Development team at Cisco and is responsible for driving Cisco’s M&A and Corporate Venture Capital activity. A veteran of Cisco’s Corporate Development organization, Rob has executed dozens of acquisitions and investments, constructed its major spin-ins such as Nuova and Insieme and helped launch new innovation projects within Cisco.

Janey Hoe is a Vice President of Cisco Investments. Previously, she held multiple product management, technical marketing, and business development leadership roles at Cisco, operating multi-billion dollar product lines as well as pioneering new products in switching, security, data center, and video collaboration. Along with her team, she was recognized as a finalist for the Pioneer Award, the highest honor for innovation at Cisco. Prior to Cisco, Janey was a management consultant at McKinsey & Company. Before McKinsey, Janey worked on network protocol research with MIT LCS Laboratory, AT&T Laboratories, and HP Laboratories. Her work on TCP/IP performance improvements has been widely implemented and referenced.

Janey holds a BS and MS in electrical engineering and computer sciences from U.C. Berkeley and MIT respectively.

Janey Hoe is a Vice President of Cisco Investments. Previously, she held multiple product management, technical marketing, and business development leadership roles at Cisco, operating multi-billion dollar product lines as well as pioneering new products in switching, security, data center, and video collaboration. Along with her team, she was recognized as a finalist for the Pioneer Award, the highest honor for innovation at Cisco. Prior to Cisco, Janey was a management consultant at McKinsey & Company. Before McKinsey, Janey worked on network protocol research with MIT LCS Laboratory, AT&T Laboratories, and HP Laboratories. Her work on TCP/IP performance improvements has been widely implemented and referenced.

Janey holds a BS and MS in electrical engineering and computer sciences from U.C. Berkeley and MIT respectively.

Derek and his team are currently responsible for driving Cisco’s strategy, acquisitions, and investments across its Security, Service Provider and related Services businesses. Derek is also responsible for Cisco’s corporate development activities in Canada, India, Japan, Korea, ASEAN and ANZ. Prior to joining Cisco, Derek was Managing Director of Venture Investment for ITOCHU Technology, the Silicon Valley-based technology venture capital investment and business development arm of ITOCHU Corporation. Before ITOCHU, Derek was Vice President of Corporate Development at Overture Services, the pioneer of commercial search services on the Internet, acquired by Yahoo! in 2003.

Derek received a BS in Finance and Marketing from U.C. Berkeley and an MBA from the Anderson School at UCLA where he was a venture fellow.

Derek and his team are currently responsible for driving Cisco’s strategy, acquisitions, and investments across its Security, Service Provider and related Services businesses. Derek is also responsible for Cisco’s corporate development activities in Canada, India, Japan, Korea, ASEAN and ANZ. Prior to joining Cisco, Derek was Managing Director of Venture Investment for ITOCHU Technology, the Silicon Valley-based technology venture capital investment and business development arm of ITOCHU Corporation. Before ITOCHU, Derek was Vice President of Corporate Development at Overture Services, the pioneer of commercial search services on the Internet, acquired by Yahoo! in 2003.

Derek received a BS in Finance and Marketing from U.C. Berkeley and an MBA from the Anderson School at UCLA where he was a venture fellow.

Matt rejoined Cisco in 2016 after several years at Comcast Ventures where he led investments in a number of sectors including data center, cloud, big data, devops, machine learning and AI. Matt leads investment and acquisition efforts for Cisco’s portfolio surrounding Internet of Things, collaboration, and enterprise networking. In his earlier career in Cisco Corporate Development, Matt was responsible for a number of acquisitions and investments primarily in the data center, storage and virtual infrastructure domains. Examples include Insieme, Virident and Desktone. Prior to Cisco he was at TeleSoft Partners where he invested in infrastructure companies such as Matrix Semiconductor, Jungo Software and Validity Sensors. Prior to becoming a venture capitalist, he was at Terayon Communication Systems, where he initially architected and designed ASICs for Terayon’s cable modem systems before moving into product marketing and product management.

Matt received his B.S., Summa Cum Laude, and M.S. in Electrical Engineering from The Ohio State University.

Matt rejoined Cisco in 2016 after several years at Comcast Ventures where he led investments in a number of sectors including data center, cloud, big data, devops, machine learning and AI. Matt leads investment and acquisition efforts for Cisco’s portfolio surrounding Internet of Things, collaboration, and enterprise networking. In his earlier career in Cisco Corporate Development, Matt was responsible for a number of acquisitions and investments primarily in the data center, storage and virtual infrastructure domains. Examples include Insieme, Virident and Desktone. Prior to Cisco he was at TeleSoft Partners where he invested in infrastructure companies such as Matrix Semiconductor, Jungo Software and Validity Sensors. Prior to becoming a venture capitalist, he was at Terayon Communication Systems, where he initially architected and designed ASICs for Terayon’s cable modem systems before moving into product marketing and product management.

Matt received his B.S., Summa Cum Laude, and M.S. in Electrical Engineering from The Ohio State University.

Phil Kirk joined Cisco in 2007 and is currently responsible for all acquisitions and investments related to Big Data as well as Cloud software and management. Before joining Cisco, Phil was with the Microsoft Corporate Strategy team. Previously, he was an associate with DTEC Venture Capital, where sourced and executed early stage investments in the software and networking market. Earlier, he spent time as a strategy consultant, focusing on clients in the internet and e-commerce space.

Phil earned his MBA degree from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and an AB degree with honors in Economics from the University of Chicago.

Phil Kirk joined Cisco in 2007 and is currently responsible for all acquisitions and investments related to Big Data as well as Cloud software and management. Before joining Cisco, Phil was with the Microsoft Corporate Strategy team. Previously, he was an associate with DTEC Venture Capital, where sourced and executed early stage investments in the software and networking market. Earlier, he spent time as a strategy consultant, focusing on clients in the internet and e-commerce space.

Phil earned his MBA degree from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and an AB degree with honors in Economics from the University of Chicago.

Portfolio

Rajiv Menon

Director

Rajiv Menon

Director

Rajiv Menon

Director

Region

Asia Pacific

Domain

Generalist

About

As Head of Cisco Investments and M&A for Asia Pacific and Japan, Rajiv leads an experienced team of Venture Investment and M&A professionals. This team has an active portfolio of investments ranging from start-ups in IOT, customer experience management, connected mobility, location analytics, smart city applications, V2V/V2X amongst many others as well as significant joint venture partnerships. Rajiv and his team also manage LP positions in Australia, India, Japan, Korea and Singapore.

Prior to his current role, Rajiv served as the Managing Director for Cisco Capital Asia Pacific, Japan and Greater China. In all, Mr. Menon has 22 years of experience in venture investing, corporate and venture lending, credit underwriting, money market trading, factoring and wealth management. Prior to joining Cisco, he co-founded Captive Finance Corporation, a technology financing company, and served as Vice President for Asia.

Originally from New Delhi, he began his corporate finance career with the $100+ billion Tata Group after receiving his Masters in Finance from the University of Delhi. Mr. Menon now resides in Singapore with his family and is an avid Polo player.

About

As Head of Cisco Investments and M&A for Asia Pacific and Japan, Rajiv leads an experienced team of Venture Investment and M&A professionals. This team has an active portfolio of investments ranging from start-ups in IOT, customer experience management, connected mobility, location analytics, smart city applications, V2V/V2X amongst many others as well as significant joint venture partnerships. Rajiv and his team also manage LP positions in Australia, India, Japan, Korea and Singapore.

Prior to his current role, Rajiv served as the Managing Director for Cisco Capital Asia Pacific, Japan and Greater China. In all, Mr. Menon has 22 years of experience in venture investing, corporate and venture lending, credit underwriting, money market trading, factoring and wealth management. Prior to joining Cisco, he co-founded Captive Finance Corporation, a technology financing company, and served as Vice President for Asia.

Originally from New Delhi, he began his corporate finance career with the $100+ billion Tata Group after receiving his Masters in Finance from the University of Delhi. Mr. Menon now resides in Singapore with his family and is an avid Polo player.

Hitesh Saijpal

Director

Hitesh Saijpal

Director

Hitesh Saijpal

Director

Region

US

Domains

Generalist

Portfolio Development

About

Head of Cisco Investments Portfolio Development

Hitesh leads the Cisco Investments Portfolio Development team whose primary goal is to deliver differentiated value to the portfolio companies by leveraging Cisco’s business enablement infrastructure. This includes participation in channel partner programs as well as showcases at major Cisco events, such as Cisco Live! and Cisco Partner Summit. Hitesh also has responsibility for other functions supporting portfolio development including marketing and relationships with VCs, entrepreneurs and other stakeholders, both within Cisco and across the industry. Hitesh is a Cisco veteran and joined Cisco Investments from Cisco’s Software Sales group where he was responsible for Global Software business development. Hitesh was previously the acting GM of Cisco’s $1B+ Collaboration product line and, prior to that, held leadership roles in sales with focus on security, data center, and collaboration in verticals such as financials, healthcare, technology, and retail.

Hitesh holds an MBA degree from Santa Clara University, an MS in Electrical Engineering from the University of Texas, and a BS in Electronics and Telecommunications from the University of Mumbai.

About

Head of Cisco Investments Portfolio Development

Hitesh leads the Cisco Investments Portfolio Development team whose primary goal is to deliver differentiated value to the portfolio companies by leveraging Cisco’s business enablement infrastructure. This includes participation in channel partner programs as well as showcases at major Cisco events, such as Cisco Live! and Cisco Partner Summit. Hitesh also has responsibility for other functions supporting portfolio development including marketing and relationships with VCs, entrepreneurs and other stakeholders, both within Cisco and across the industry. Hitesh is a Cisco veteran and joined Cisco Investments from Cisco’s Software Sales group where he was responsible for Global Software business development. Hitesh was previously the acting GM of Cisco’s $1B+ Collaboration product line and, prior to that, held leadership roles in sales with focus on security, data center, and collaboration in verticals such as financials, healthcare, technology, and retail.

Hitesh holds an MBA degree from Santa Clara University, an MS in Electrical Engineering from the University of Texas, and a BS in Electronics and Telecommunications from the University of Mumbai.

Amit Chaturvedy

Director

Amit Chaturvedy

Director

Amit Chaturvedy

Director

Region

US

Domain

Internet of Things

About

Domain Leader: Internet of Things

Amit Chaturvedy joined Cisco in 2014 and leads the global investment practice for Internet of Things (IoT). Prior to Cisco, Amit was at Summit Partners where he sourced and led investments in communications technology, financial services and consumer sectors in US, Europe and India. Previously, he was at Cummins Inc. where he designed software for diesel engines and led customer liaison activities for Daimler Chrysler Corporation. Amit also worked in the investment banking group at Citigroup, NY.

Amit received mechanical engineering degrees from Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) – Bombay and Purdue University – West Lafayette and has an MBA from Harvard Business School.

Portfolio

About

Domain Leader: Internet of Things

Amit Chaturvedy joined Cisco in 2014 and leads the global investment practice for Internet of Things (IoT). Prior to Cisco, Amit was at Summit Partners where he sourced and led investments in communications technology, financial services and consumer sectors in US, Europe and India. Previously, he was at Cummins Inc. where he designed software for diesel engines and led customer liaison activities for Daimler Chrysler Corporation. Amit also worked in the investment banking group at Citigroup, NY.

Amit received mechanical engineering degrees from Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) – Bombay and Purdue University – West Lafayette and has an MBA from Harvard Business School.

Portfolio

Tod Hays

Director

Tod Hays

Director

Tod Hays

Director

Region

US

Domains

Generalist

Portfolio Development

About

In Tod’s current role he concerns himself with Lifecycle Management of Cisco’s equity investment portfolio and continuing to be a liaison between the portfolio companies and Cisco, providing advisory services tailored to the needs and developmental stage of each company. Prior to that, Tod led an investment and acquisition team responsible for multiple investments and acquisitions covering the areas of Security, Optics, Switching, Routing, and Network Management.

Tod joined Cisco in 1995 after serving in various engineering roles in the areas of optics, video, and telecommunications systems in support of NASA and the Space Shuttle program.

Tod holds a BSEE from Memphis State University with a specialization in Optics and holds four patents in the area of telecommunications systems.

About

In Tod’s current role he concerns himself with Lifecycle Management of Cisco’s equity investment portfolio and continuing to be a liaison between the portfolio companies and Cisco, providing advisory services tailored to the needs and developmental stage of each company. Prior to that, Tod led an investment and acquisition team responsible for multiple investments and acquisitions covering the areas of Security, Optics, Switching, Routing, and Network Management.

Tod joined Cisco in 1995 after serving in various engineering roles in the areas of optics, video, and telecommunications systems in support of NASA and the Space Shuttle program.

Tod holds a BSEE from Memphis State University with a specialization in Optics and holds four patents in the area of telecommunications systems.

Daniel Karp

Director

Daniel Karp

Director

Daniel Karp

Director

Regions

Israel

Latin America

Domain

Generalist

About

Geo Leader: Israel and Latin America

Daniel Karp joined Cisco Business Development in 2013 and is currently focused on investment and acquisition opportunities in Israel and Latin America. Before coming to Cisco, Daniel Karp was a Senior Strategy Manager at Microsoft, where he was responsible for the strategy of Microsoft’s Startup Business Group (Microsoft’s internal Incubation projects arm), and Microsoft Research, focusing on areas such as NUI, Communications and Collaboration, Robotics, 3D Printing and Machine Learning. Prior to that, Daniel worked as a Product Manager and Product Marketing Manager at Microsoft’s Windows Azure (Public Cloud). Before Microsoft, Daniel worked as a Venture Capital Associate at Amiti Capital and held various engineering roles at Comsys Communications (acquired by Intel) and Saifun Semiconductors (acquired by Spansion).

Daniel earned a BS in Electrical and Electronic Engineering, from Tel-Aviv University, an MBA from the University of Chicago, Booth School of Business, and is a graduate of an Elite Telecommunications Unit in the Israeli Defense Forces.

Portfolio

About

Geo Leader: Israel and Latin America

Daniel Karp joined Cisco Business Development in 2013 and is currently focused on investment and acquisition opportunities in Israel and Latin America. Before coming to Cisco, Daniel Karp was a Senior Strategy Manager at Microsoft, where he was responsible for the strategy of Microsoft’s Startup Business Group (Microsoft’s internal Incubation projects arm), and Microsoft Research, focusing on areas such as NUI, Communications and Collaboration, Robotics, 3D Printing and Machine Learning. Prior to that, Daniel worked as a Product Manager and Product Marketing Manager at Microsoft’s Windows Azure (Public Cloud). Before Microsoft, Daniel worked as a Venture Capital Associate at Amiti Capital and held various engineering roles at Comsys Communications (acquired by Intel) and Saifun Semiconductors (acquired by Spansion).

Daniel earned a BS in Electrical and Electronic Engineering, from Tel-Aviv University, an MBA from the University of Chicago, Booth School of Business, and is a graduate of an Elite Telecommunications Unit in the Israeli Defense Forces.

Portfolio

Jon Koplin

Director

Jon Koplin

Director

Jon Koplin

Director

Regions

Central and Eastern Europe

Western Europe

Domain

Generalist

About

Jon Koplin joined Cisco Corporate Development in 2017 and leads the EMEAR team responsible for investments, joint ventures, and acquisitions.

Previous to Cisco, Jon worked as an early-stage technology investor with European family offices. Before moving into the investment arena, Jon held senior operating roles at Google and Samsung in Europe and Asia. Early in his career, Jon worked in Silicon Valley and in startups and was part of the management team of NetBeans (acquired by Sun Microsystems).

Jon earned a BS in Chemical Engineering and a MA in Classical Languages from Stanford University and an MBA from INSEAD.​

About

Jon Koplin joined Cisco Corporate Development in 2017 and leads the EMEAR team responsible for investments, joint ventures, and acquisitions.

Previous to Cisco, Jon worked as an early-stage technology investor with European family offices. Before moving into the investment arena, Jon held senior operating roles at Google and Samsung in Europe and Asia. Early in his career, Jon worked in Silicon Valley and in startups and was part of the management team of NetBeans (acquired by Sun Microsystems).

Jon earned a BS in Chemical Engineering and a MA in Classical Languages from Stanford University and an MBA from INSEAD.​

Tyson Li

Director

Tyson Li

Director

Tyson Li

Director

Region

Greater China

Domain

Generalist

About

Geo Leader: Greater China

Tyson Li joined Cisco Corporate Development in 2008 and is part of the Greater China team responsible for investments, joint ventures and acquisitions. Previous to Cisco, Tyson was a Vice President at Investor Growth Capital Asia, a venture capital fund backed by Investor AB, where he invested in technology companies in the Asia Pacific region. Before moving into the investment arena, Tyson was a veteran of both startups as well as MNCs in both Asia and North America.

Tyson holds an MBA from the Wharton School of Business and an engineering degree from Simon Fraser University.

Portfolio

About

Geo Leader: Greater China

Tyson Li joined Cisco Corporate Development in 2008 and is part of the Greater China team responsible for investments, joint ventures and acquisitions. Previous to Cisco, Tyson was a Vice President at Investor Growth Capital Asia, a venture capital fund backed by Investor AB, where he invested in technology companies in the Asia Pacific region. Before moving into the investment arena, Tyson was a veteran of both startups as well as MNCs in both Asia and North America.

Tyson holds an MBA from the Wharton School of Business and an engineering degree from Simon Fraser University.

Portfolio

Kay Min

Director

Kay Min

Director

Kay Min

Director

Regions

Canada

US

Domains

Generalist

Service Provider and Core Services

Silicon

About

Domain Leader: Silicon
Geo Leader: Canada

Kay Min joined the Cisco Corporate Development team in 2011 and is responsible for all of Cisco’s acquisitions and investments in routing, optical networking, and photonics markets which continue to display dramatic increases in speed and component integration. Kay also has the geographic responsibility for Canada. Her extensive experience in roles of increasing responsibility in the product development and product management sides of optical networking includes both large companies (Pirelli and Lucent) as well as startups, Photuris (founding team member) and Mahi. A transition into investment banking and venture capital investing further broadened her experience.

Kay earned an MBA degree from Georgetown University and a BS in Ceramic Engineering from Rutgers University.

Portfolio

About

Domain Leader: Silicon
Geo Leader: Canada

Kay Min joined the Cisco Corporate Development team in 2011 and is responsible for all of Cisco’s acquisitions and investments in routing, optical networking, and photonics markets which continue to display dramatic increases in speed and component integration. Kay also has the geographic responsibility for Canada. Her extensive experience in roles of increasing responsibility in the product development and product management sides of optical networking includes both large companies (Pirelli and Lucent) as well as startups, Photuris (founding team member) and Mahi. A transition into investment banking and venture capital investing further broadened her experience.

Kay earned an MBA degree from Georgetown University and a BS in Ceramic Engineering from Rutgers University.

Portfolio

Tina Nolte

Director

Tina Nolte

Director

Tina Nolte

Director

Region

US

Domain

Cloud

About

Tina Nolte joined the Cisco Corporate Development team in 2017 and is responsible for Cisco’s investment and acquisition efforts in the Cloud space. She began her career as a consultant at McKinsey. After McKinsey she joined Cisco’s UCS Product Management team, leading their flagship management software efforts. Following Cisco, Tina has led product management at two cloud and data center infrastructure startups, Nebula and DriveScale, and led strategic initiatives in the Office of the CTO at Pure Storage.

Tina earned a Ph.D. in Computer Science from MIT and a BA in Mathematics and Computer Science from Cornell University.

About

Tina Nolte joined the Cisco Corporate Development team in 2017 and is responsible for Cisco’s investment and acquisition efforts in the Cloud space. She began her career as a consultant at McKinsey. After McKinsey she joined Cisco’s UCS Product Management team, leading their flagship management software efforts. Following Cisco, Tina has led product management at two cloud and data center infrastructure startups, Nebula and DriveScale, and led strategic initiatives in the Office of the CTO at Pure Storage.

Tina earned a Ph.D. in Computer Science from MIT and a BA in Mathematics and Computer Science from Cornell University.

Michael Porat

Director

Michael Porat

Director

Michael Porat

Director

Region

US

Domain

Data Center and Storage

About

Domain Leader: Data Center and Storage

Michael Porat joined the Cisco Corporate Development team in 2012 and is responsible for Cisco’s investment and acquisition efforts in the Data Center and Storage arenas. Prior to this, Michael led Cisco’s investment and acquisition activities in Mobile Wireless including acquisitions such as Intucell, Ubiquisys, and Broadhop. He began his career at Intel managing a global team re-engineering business processes. He then moved into an operational role as ECI Telecom’s Chief of Staff, where he was a key contributor in facilitating a leveraged buyout of the then public company. Before joining Cisco, Michael was a Principal at Genesis Partners, an Israel-based venture capital firm focused on early stage investments.

Michael earned a BA in Economics from Yale University.

Portfolio

About

Domain Leader: Data Center and Storage

Michael Porat joined the Cisco Corporate Development team in 2012 and is responsible for Cisco’s investment and acquisition efforts in the Data Center and Storage arenas. Prior to this, Michael led Cisco’s investment and acquisition activities in Mobile Wireless including acquisitions such as Intucell, Ubiquisys, and Broadhop. He began his career at Intel managing a global team re-engineering business processes. He then moved into an operational role as ECI Telecom’s Chief of Staff, where he was a key contributor in facilitating a leveraged buyout of the then public company. Before joining Cisco, Michael was a Principal at Genesis Partners, an Israel-based venture capital firm focused on early stage investments.

Michael earned a BA in Economics from Yale University.

Portfolio

Aleem Rizvon

Director

Aleem Rizvon

Director

Aleem Rizvon

Director

Region

US

Domains

Service Provider and Core Services

Silicon

About

Domain Leader: Service Provider and Core Services

Aleem Rizvon and his team are focused on developing inorganic growth strategies for the Service Provider sector and the Core Services market. Aleem has a long record of helping Cisco enter new markets. He led the formation of the Joint Venture with EMC and VMware to create VCE that helped Cisco enter the Converged Cloud Infrastructure market. He also led the investment in an early stage accelerator that allowed Cisco to participate in the Incubator market. Earlier at Cisco, Aleem led Product Management teams in both the Enterprise and Service Provider Segments where his teams were instrumental in bringing to market WLAN, Advanced Mobility Services, Multi-Service Switches and VoIP Media Gateways that drove revenues in excess of $1B.

Prior to Cisco, Aleem lead product development organizations at NEC where he spent considerable amount of time in Japan, defining, developing and deploying Service Provider Core Network Products and Voice/Data Convergence Products.

Aleem holds a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science and Engineering from Regional Engineering College in India and a Master’s degree in Computer Science and Engineering from The University of Texas at Arlington.

Portfolio

About

Domain Leader: Service Provider and Core Services

Aleem Rizvon and his team are focused on developing inorganic growth strategies for the Service Provider sector and the Core Services market. Aleem has a long record of helping Cisco enter new markets. He led the formation of the Joint Venture with EMC and VMware to create VCE that helped Cisco enter the Converged Cloud Infrastructure market. He also led the investment in an early stage accelerator that allowed Cisco to participate in the Incubator market. Earlier at Cisco, Aleem led Product Management teams in both the Enterprise and Service Provider Segments where his teams were instrumental in bringing to market WLAN, Advanced Mobility Services, Multi-Service Switches and VoIP Media Gateways that drove revenues in excess of $1B.

Prior to Cisco, Aleem lead product development organizations at NEC where he spent considerable amount of time in Japan, defining, developing and deploying Service Provider Core Network Products and Voice/Data Convergence Products.

Aleem holds a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science and Engineering from Regional Engineering College in India and a Master’s degree in Computer Science and Engineering from The University of Texas at Arlington.

Portfolio

Karthik Subramanian

Director

Karthik Subramanian

Director

Karthik Subramanian

Director

Region

US

Domain

Security and Security Services

About

Domain Leader: Security and Security Services

Karthik Subramanian joined Cisco Corporate Development in 2014 and is currently focused on finding investment and acquisition opportunities in the Security sector as well as related services. Before coming to Cisco, Karthik founded a social recommendations start-up and was an investment banker at Barclays prior to that.

Karthik earned an MBA from Wharton and also holds an Engineering degree from IIT – Bombay.

Portfolio

About

Domain Leader: Security and Security Services

Karthik Subramanian joined Cisco Corporate Development in 2014 and is currently focused on finding investment and acquisition opportunities in the Security sector as well as related services. Before coming to Cisco, Karthik founded a social recommendations start-up and was an investment banker at Barclays prior to that.

Karthik earned an MBA from Wharton and also holds an Engineering degree from IIT – Bombay.

Portfolio

Pratima Aiyagari

Manager

Pratima Aiyagari

Manager

Pratima Aiyagari

Manager

Region

Western Europe

Domain

Generalist

About

Pratima Aiyagari joined Cisco Corporate Development in 2011 and is responsible for investments and acquisitions across all Cisco verticals within the EMEA region with a specific focus on Western and Northern Europe. In this role, she also serves as Cisco’s board observer on several portfolio companies. Prior to her current role, she has over a decade of experience in multiple roles as a Cisco engineer in the US (in the areas of network management, access routing and advanced services), sell-side equity research in Europe covering the TMT sector (at Société Générale) and corporate business development in a financial risk management start-up in London (at PensionsFirst).

Pratima received her MBA from INSEAD in France and an MS in Computer Science from the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in the US. Pratima is a co-author of a US patent in the area of network device clusters and high availability.

Portfolio

About

Pratima Aiyagari joined Cisco Corporate Development in 2011 and is responsible for investments and acquisitions across all Cisco verticals within the EMEA region with a specific focus on Western and Northern Europe. In this role, she also serves as Cisco’s board observer on several portfolio companies. Prior to her current role, she has over a decade of experience in multiple roles as a Cisco engineer in the US (in the areas of network management, access routing and advanced services), sell-side equity research in Europe covering the TMT sector (at Société Générale) and corporate business development in a financial risk management start-up in London (at PensionsFirst).

Pratima received her MBA from INSEAD in France and an MS in Computer Science from the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in the US. Pratima is a co-author of a US patent in the area of network device clusters and high availability.

Portfolio

Alan Chelko

Manager

Alan Chelko

Manager

Alan Chelko

Manager

Region

Central and Eastern Europe

Domain

Generalist

About

Alan Chelko heads Cisco’s Corporate Development efforts in CEE, DACH and the Middle East. In this role, he leads Cisco’s regional venture capital investment efforts and manages Cisco’s regional private investment portfolio of over $100M. He has over 15 years’ experience in emerging markets building and growing high tech companies as both a manager and investor.

Alan has received a dual degree International MBA in 1996 from the Thunderbird School of Global Management in Glendale, Arizona (USA) and Arizona State University in Tempe, Arizona (USA).

Portfolio

About

Alan Chelko heads Cisco’s Corporate Development efforts in CEE, DACH and the Middle East. In this role, he leads Cisco’s regional venture capital investment efforts and manages Cisco’s regional private investment portfolio of over $100M. He has over 15 years’ experience in emerging markets building and growing high tech companies as both a manager and investor.

Alan has received a dual degree International MBA in 1996 from the Thunderbird School of Global Management in Glendale, Arizona (USA) and Arizona State University in Tempe, Arizona (USA).

Portfolio

Daniel Fischer

Manager

Daniel Fischer

Manager

Daniel Fischer

Manager

Region

US

Domain

Big Data

About

Daniel Fischer joined Cisco’s Corporate Development team in 2015 and focuses on investments and acquisitions in Big Data, Analytics and Storage. Before joining Cisco, Daniel spent two years at Blackstone, where he worked on venture investments and corporate acquisitions. Previously, Daniel was an investment banking analyst in Citi’s Industrial group in New York.

Daniel graduated Phi Beta Kappa from the University of Chicago with a B.A. in Economics and received an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School.

Portfolio

About

Daniel Fischer joined Cisco’s Corporate Development team in 2015 and focuses on investments and acquisitions in Big Data, Analytics and Storage. Before joining Cisco, Daniel spent two years at Blackstone, where he worked on venture investments and corporate acquisitions. Previously, Daniel was an investment banking analyst in Citi’s Industrial group in New York.

Daniel graduated Phi Beta Kappa from the University of Chicago with a B.A. in Economics and received an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School.

Portfolio

Tomer Goldberg

Manager

Tomer Goldberg

Manager

Tomer Goldberg

Manager

Region

Israel

Domain

Generalist

About

Tomer Goldberg joined the Cisco Corporate Development team in 2016 and is focused on the full range of strategic initiatives, including acquisitions and investments, that Cisco pursues in Israel. Prior to Cisco, Tomer was at Audible, an Amazon company, as a Senior Product Manager focused on web and mobile apps, and before that, Tomer was at Deloitte Consulting working with Technology, Media and Telecom clients. Tomer began his career in the Israeli Defense Forces’ UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) unit as a pilot and officer.

Tomer holds an MBA from Columbia University’s Business School and an LLB from the University of Haifa, Israel.

About

Tomer Goldberg joined the Cisco Corporate Development team in 2016 and is focused on the full range of strategic initiatives, including acquisitions and investments, that Cisco pursues in Israel. Prior to Cisco, Tomer was at Audible, an Amazon company, as a Senior Product Manager focused on web and mobile apps, and before that, Tomer was at Deloitte Consulting working with Technology, Media and Telecom clients. Tomer began his career in the Israeli Defense Forces’ UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) unit as a pilot and officer.

Tomer holds an MBA from Columbia University’s Business School and an LLB from the University of Haifa, Israel.

Walter Hu

Manager

Walter Hu

Manager

Walter Hu

Manager

Region

US

Domain

Portfolio Development

About

Walter is a member of Cisco Investments Portfolio Development team, whose primary goal is to deliver differentiated value to the portfolio companies by leveraging Cisco’s business enablement infrastructure. Walter is a Cisco veteran and joined Cisco Investments from Cisco’s Collaboration Sales and Go-to-Market group, where he was responsible GTM strategy for Spark. Walter has worked in 7 different functional departments within Cisco, from sales and service, to product and manufacturing operations, to product management and sales/GTM strategy.

Walter holds an MBA degree from University of Southern California, and a BA from University of California, Los Angeles.

About

Walter is a member of Cisco Investments Portfolio Development team, whose primary goal is to deliver differentiated value to the portfolio companies by leveraging Cisco’s business enablement infrastructure. Walter is a Cisco veteran and joined Cisco Investments from Cisco’s Collaboration Sales and Go-to-Market group, where he was responsible GTM strategy for Spark. Walter has worked in 7 different functional departments within Cisco, from sales and service, to product and manufacturing operations, to product management and sales/GTM strategy.

Walter holds an MBA degree from University of Southern California, and a BA from University of California, Los Angeles.

Caren Kang

Manager

Caren Kang

Manager

Caren Kang

Manager

Region

South Korea

Domain

Generalist

About

Caren Kang joined Cisco Corporate Business Development in Singapore in 2014 after several years of experience with Cisco’s APJC Strategy & Planning team. She is currently focused on strategy, investments and acquisitions for South Korea and ASEAN as well as cross-border initiatives across the APJ region.

Caren started her career as an investment banking analyst at Morgan Stanley’s Seoul office, which was followed by Business Development roles in Korea’s digital industry, namely Nexon and CJ Entertainment & Media.

Caren earned her MBA from CEIBS in Shanghai and her undergraduate degree from Seoul National University.

Portfolio

About

Caren Kang joined Cisco Corporate Business Development in Singapore in 2014 after several years of experience with Cisco’s APJC Strategy & Planning team. She is currently focused on strategy, investments and acquisitions for South Korea and ASEAN as well as cross-border initiatives across the APJ region.

Caren started her career as an investment banking analyst at Morgan Stanley’s Seoul office, which was followed by Business Development roles in Korea’s digital industry, namely Nexon and CJ Entertainment & Media.

Caren earned her MBA from CEIBS in Shanghai and her undergraduate degree from Seoul National University.

Portfolio

Ajay Khanna

Manager

Ajay Khanna

Manager

Ajay Khanna

Manager

Region

US

Domains

Service Provider and Core Services

Silicon

About

Ajay Khanna joined Cisco Corporate Development in 2008 and is currently focused on finding investment and acquisition opportunities in the Service Provider and related Services sectors, both in Silicon Valley and worldwide. Prior to this, he spent six years in Bangalore where he was responsible for Cisco’s initiatives in services and solutions. Most recently, Ajay drove Cisco’s efforts for global venture thematic investments across Connected Mobility, Internet of Things, Storage, and Analytics themes with a focus on Indian product ecosystem. Before coming to Cisco, Ajay led the Technical Services Business unit at Aricent (formerly Hughes Software systems). He was also part of the founding team of three product entrepreneurial start-ups in India.

Ajay earned a Bachelors of Engineering (Electronics and Communications) from Delhi Institute of Technology, Delhi University.

Portfolio

About

Ajay Khanna joined Cisco Corporate Development in 2008 and is currently focused on finding investment and acquisition opportunities in the Service Provider and related Services sectors, both in Silicon Valley and worldwide. Prior to this, he spent six years in Bangalore where he was responsible for Cisco’s initiatives in services and solutions. Most recently, Ajay drove Cisco’s efforts for global venture thematic investments across Connected Mobility, Internet of Things, Storage, and Analytics themes with a focus on Indian product ecosystem. Before coming to Cisco, Ajay led the Technical Services Business unit at Aricent (formerly Hughes Software systems). He was also part of the founding team of three product entrepreneurial start-ups in India.

Ajay earned a Bachelors of Engineering (Electronics and Communications) from Delhi Institute of Technology, Delhi University.

Portfolio

Christiaan Kuun

Manager

Christiaan Kuun

Manager

Christiaan Kuun

Manager

Region

US

Domain

Generalist

About

Christiaan is a member of the Cisco Investments Portfolio Development team. He brings portfolio companies and Cisco’s business entities together to leverage the value and scale that only Cisco can bring to our investment portfolio.

Before joining Cisco Investments, Christiaan was part of Cisco’s Corporate Strategic Innovation Group, where he focused on various external innovation initiatives and worked across Cisco’s nine global innovation centers. Prior to Cisco, Christiaan worked in South Africa’s largest scientific research organization (the CSIR), where he ran initiatives in artificial intelligence, and helped establish South Africa’s research and education network (SANREN).

Christiaan holds an MBA from IMD Business School in Switzerland, and a BEng in Computer Engineering from the University of Pretoria in South Africa.

About

Christiaan is a member of the Cisco Investments Portfolio Development team. He brings portfolio companies and Cisco’s business entities together to leverage the value and scale that only Cisco can bring to our investment portfolio.

Before joining Cisco Investments, Christiaan was part of Cisco’s Corporate Strategic Innovation Group, where he focused on various external innovation initiatives and worked across Cisco’s nine global innovation centers. Prior to Cisco, Christiaan worked in South Africa’s largest scientific research organization (the CSIR), where he ran initiatives in artificial intelligence, and helped establish South Africa’s research and education network (SANREN).

Christiaan holds an MBA from IMD Business School in Switzerland, and a BEng in Computer Engineering from the University of Pretoria in South Africa.

Vin Lingathoti

Manager

Vin Lingathoti

Manager

Vin Lingathoti

Manager

Region

Western Europe

Domain

Generalist

About

Vin Lingathoti joined Cisco Corporate Development in 2015 to focus on investments and acquisitions in Data Center and Storage, and to accelerate the Cisco Investments platform. Vin joined Cisco from SKTA Innopartners, an innovation accelerator, where he focused on seed-stage investments in Enterprise Storage, Data Center, and IoT. Prior to Innopartners, he was in the corporate development and strategy teams at EMC and SunGard. Earlier, Vin was a management consultant at The Boston Consulting Group and has worked in the buyout team of an European Private Equity fund. He started his career as a software engineer and has held product management and operations roles at multiple startups.

Vin earned his MBA in Finance and Entrepreneurship from the Wharton School at University of Pennsylvania and an MS in Computer Science from University of Potsdam in Germany.

Portfolio

About

Vin Lingathoti joined Cisco Corporate Development in 2015 to focus on investments and acquisitions in Data Center and Storage, and to accelerate the Cisco Investments platform. Vin joined Cisco from SKTA Innopartners, an innovation accelerator, where he focused on seed-stage investments in Enterprise Storage, Data Center, and IoT. Prior to Innopartners, he was in the corporate development and strategy teams at EMC and SunGard. Earlier, Vin was a management consultant at The Boston Consulting Group and has worked in the buyout team of an European Private Equity fund. He started his career as a software engineer and has held product management and operations roles at multiple startups.

Vin earned his MBA in Finance and Entrepreneurship from the Wharton School at University of Pennsylvania and an MS in Computer Science from University of Potsdam in Germany.

Portfolio

Prasad Parthasarathi

Manager

Prasad Parthasarathi

Manager

Prasad Parthasarathi

Manager

Region

US

Domain

Security and Security Services

About

Prasad Parthasarathi joined Cisco Corporate Development in 2015 to focus on acquisitions, investments and inorganic strategy in the Security space. Prior to Cisco, Prasad worked in HP’s Corporate Development group where he evaluated and led a variety of transactions including acquisitions, divestitures, IP licensing, joint ventures and equity investments across Security, Enterprise Software and IT Services. Prasad joined HP from EDS Corporate Development, where he executed acquisitions in the Consulting & Systems Integration space and was a key member of the deal team that advised the EDS leadership on its $14B sale to HP. Prior to HP / EDS, Prasad held positions in Business Strategy and Corporate Finance in Singapore and India.

Prasad earned an MBA in Finance from the Indian School of Business (ISB) and studied at the Duke University on a student exchange program. In addition, he holds an undergraduate degree in business.

Portfolio

About

Prasad Parthasarathi joined Cisco Corporate Development in 2015 to focus on acquisitions, investments and inorganic strategy in the Security space. Prior to Cisco, Prasad worked in HP’s Corporate Development group where he evaluated and led a variety of transactions including acquisitions, divestitures, IP licensing, joint ventures and equity investments across Security, Enterprise Software and IT Services. Prasad joined HP from EDS Corporate Development, where he executed acquisitions in the Consulting & Systems Integration space and was a key member of the deal team that advised the EDS leadership on its $14B sale to HP. Prior to HP / EDS, Prasad held positions in Business Strategy and Corporate Finance in Singapore and India.

Prasad earned an MBA in Finance from the Indian School of Business (ISB) and studied at the Duke University on a student exchange program. In addition, he holds an undergraduate degree in business.

Portfolio

Jack Ren

Manager

Jack Ren

Manager

Jack Ren

Manager

Region

Greater China

Domain

Internet of Things

About

Jack was an IoT project manager at China Mobile in Beijing and was a R&D manager of smart phones at Samsung Electronics in South Korea. He also co-founded a startup for mobile TV solution in Beijing before joining in Samsung, after three-year experience in software development at Sony Ericsson in Japan.

Jack holds an MBA degree from Yale School of Management and a Ph.D degree in communication systems from Tsinghua University.

Jack published one Chinese book FPGA/CDLD Advanced Application Development Guide in 2003. He speaks English, Chinese and Japanese and loves badminton and reading.

About

Jack was an IoT project manager at China Mobile in Beijing and was a R&D manager of smart phones at Samsung Electronics in South Korea. He also co-founded a startup for mobile TV solution in Beijing before joining in Samsung, after three-year experience in software development at Sony Ericsson in Japan.

Jack holds an MBA degree from Yale School of Management and a Ph.D degree in communication systems from Tsinghua University.

Jack published one Chinese book FPGA/CDLD Advanced Application Development Guide in 2003. He speaks English, Chinese and Japanese and loves badminton and reading.

Eric Rhine

Manager

Eric Rhine

Manager

Eric Rhine

Manager

Region

US

Domains

Service Provider and Core Services

Silicon

About

Eric Rhine joined Cisco Corporate Development in 2012 and is currently focused on finding investment and acquisition opportunities in the Service Provider and related Services sectors. Before coming to Cisco, Eric worked in investment banking at Bridge Street Advisors, which offered financial services to mid-market enterprise software companies. While at Bridge Street, Eric was responsible for traditional sell-side transactions as well as outsourced corporate development and buy-side consulting for his clients.

Eric earned a bachelor’s degree from Princeton University.

Portfolio

About

Eric Rhine joined Cisco Corporate Development in 2012 and is currently focused on finding investment and acquisition opportunities in the Service Provider and related Services sectors. Before coming to Cisco, Eric worked in investment banking at Bridge Street Advisors, which offered financial services to mid-market enterprise software companies. While at Bridge Street, Eric was responsible for traditional sell-side transactions as well as outsourced corporate development and buy-side consulting for his clients.

Eric earned a bachelor’s degree from Princeton University.

Portfolio

Ankur Saxena

Manager

Ankur Saxena

Manager

Ankur Saxena

Manager

Region

US

Domains

Internet of Things

Security and Security Services

About

Ankur Saxena joined Cisco Corporate Development in 2016 and is currently focused on investment and acquisition opportunities in Enterprise Security and Internet of Things. Prior to Cisco, Ankur worked in a variety of roles in venture capital, private equity and investment banking in Amazon’s Corporate Development team, The Carlyle Group, Helion Venture Partners and Avendus Capital in the US and India.

Ankur earned an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management. He also holds a B. Tech. degree in Electrical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur.

About

Ankur Saxena joined Cisco Corporate Development in 2016 and is currently focused on investment and acquisition opportunities in Enterprise Security and Internet of Things. Prior to Cisco, Ankur worked in a variety of roles in venture capital, private equity and investment banking in Amazon’s Corporate Development team, The Carlyle Group, Helion Venture Partners and Avendus Capital in the US and India.

Ankur earned an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management. He also holds a B. Tech. degree in Electrical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur.

Shiv Sharma

Manager

Shiv Sharma

Manager

Shiv Sharma

Manager

Region

US

Domain

Collaboration

About

Shiv Sharma joined Cisco Investments in 2017 and focuses on investment and acquisition opportunities in the Collaboration market. Before joining Cisco, Shiv interned at Fidelity International in London analyzing global internet equities and worked in Private Equity at Palisade Capital Management where he focused on various growth-oriented investments. Previously, Shiv was an Investment Banking Analyst in the Technology Group at RBC Capital Markets in New York.

Shiv earned an MBA from INSEAD, an MS Commerce from the University of Virginia, and a BA in Economics & Commerce from Hampden-Sydney College.

About

Shiv Sharma joined Cisco Investments in 2017 and focuses on investment and acquisition opportunities in the Collaboration market. Before joining Cisco, Shiv interned at Fidelity International in London analyzing global internet equities and worked in Private Equity at Palisade Capital Management where he focused on various growth-oriented investments. Previously, Shiv was an Investment Banking Analyst in the Technology Group at RBC Capital Markets in New York.

Shiv earned an MBA from INSEAD, an MS Commerce from the University of Virginia, and a BA in Economics & Commerce from Hampden-Sydney College.

Malcolm Thornton

Manager

Malcolm Thornton

Manager

Malcolm Thornton

Manager

Region

Australia and New Zealand

Domain

Generalist

About

Geo Leader: Australia and New Zealand

Malcolm leads the development and execution of strategy for investments and acquisitions in Australia and New Zealand while supporting the broader APJ team across the region. Malcolm has extensive experience in the venture capital world both as investor and entrepreneur. He spent over a decade on the investment team at Starfish Ventures, one of Australia’s leading venture firms and had his first investment role with JAFCO Asia representing their investment activities in Australia. He also spent several years in the US with the start up Platypus Technology.

Malcolm earned a Masters of Applied Science from the Queensland University of Technology and an MBA from the University of Melbourne. Malcolm was also a Monbusho scholar in Japan.

Portfolio

About

Geo Leader: Australia and New Zealand

Malcolm leads the development and execution of strategy for investments and acquisitions in Australia and New Zealand while supporting the broader APJ team across the region. Malcolm has extensive experience in the venture capital world both as investor and entrepreneur. He spent over a decade on the investment team at Starfish Ventures, one of Australia’s leading venture firms and had his first investment role with JAFCO Asia representing their investment activities in Australia. He also spent several years in the US with the start up Platypus Technology.

Malcolm earned a Masters of Applied Science from the Queensland University of Technology and an MBA from the University of Melbourne. Malcolm was also a Monbusho scholar in Japan.

Portfolio

Donald Tucker

Manager

Donald Tucker

Manager

Donald Tucker

Manager

Region

US

Domain

Collaboration

About

Domain Leader: Collaboration

Donald Tucker leads Cisco’s acquisition and investment efforts related to the market for Collaboration products and services. Donald joined Cisco from Oracle via the acquisition of Responsys, and prior to that spent time at Jefferies & Co., Liberty Mutual Investments and Chevron in a variety of finance, investment and research roles.

Donald holds an MBA from Wharton, and a bachelor of science in Business from Cal Poly.

Portfolio

About

Domain Leader: Collaboration

Donald Tucker leads Cisco’s acquisition and investment efforts related to the market for Collaboration products and services. Donald joined Cisco from Oracle via the acquisition of Responsys, and prior to that spent time at Jefferies & Co., Liberty Mutual Investments and Chevron in a variety of finance, investment and research roles.

Donald holds an MBA from Wharton, and a bachelor of science in Business from Cal Poly.

Portfolio

Divya Venkatachari

Manager

Divya Venkatachari

Manager

Divya Venkatachari

Manager

Region

US

Domain

Cloud

About

Divya joined Cisco Investments in 2014 and focuses on investment and acquisition opportunities related to the Cloud market. She started her career in a technology role at Next Jump, an internet and e-commerce company. Following that, she was a management consultant at Opera Solutions. Most recently, Divya spent a summer as an Associate covering Technology at a global investment bank.

Divya received her Bachelor’s from Anna University, India and Master’s from Johns Hopkins University, both in Computer Science; and an MBA from Wharton.

About

Divya joined Cisco Investments in 2014 and focuses on investment and acquisition opportunities related to the Cloud market. She started her career in a technology role at Next Jump, an internet and e-commerce company. Following that, she was a management consultant at Opera Solutions. Most recently, Divya spent a summer as an Associate covering Technology at a global investment bank.

Divya received her Bachelor’s from Anna University, India and Master’s from Johns Hopkins University, both in Computer Science; and an MBA from Wharton.

Hideaki Yajima

Manager

Hideaki Yajima

Manager

Hideaki Yajima

Manager

Region

Japan

Domain

Generalist

About

Geo Leader: Japan

Hideaki Yajima joined Cisco Corporate Development in 2014 and is focused on strategy, investments and acquisitions for Japan as well as cross-border initiatives across the APJ region. Most recently Hideaki spent six years as an Executive Director at Mobile Internet Capital, an IT-focused venture capital firm in Tokyo. After starting his career at NTT Data Corporation as a systems engineer in projects for the Japanese and Malaysian governments as well as the packaged software business, Hideaki worked at Accenture as a strategic consultant and at Macquarie Group as an ICT investment professional.

Hideaki earned his MBA from MIT Sloan School of Management and his B. Eng. and M. Eng. Degrees from the University of Tokyo.

Portfolio

About

Geo Leader: Japan

Hideaki Yajima joined Cisco Corporate Development in 2014 and is focused on strategy, investments and acquisitions for Japan as well as cross-border initiatives across the APJ region. Most recently Hideaki spent six years as an Executive Director at Mobile Internet Capital, an IT-focused venture capital firm in Tokyo. After starting his career at NTT Data Corporation as a systems engineer in projects for the Japanese and Malaysian governments as well as the packaged software business, Hideaki worked at Accenture as a strategic consultant and at Macquarie Group as an ICT investment professional.

Hideaki earned his MBA from MIT Sloan School of Management and his B. Eng. and M. Eng. Degrees from the University of Tokyo.

Portfolio

Sarena Ahmad

Associate

Sarena Ahmad

Associate

Sarena Ahmad

Associate

Region

US

Domain

Data Center and Storage

About

Sarena Ahmad joined Cisco Corporate Development in 2017 to focus on investments and acquisitions in the Data Center and Storage space. Prior to Cisco, Sarena was at Faraday Future, an electric vehicle start-up based in Los Angeles. Previously, she was in the Industrials Group at Deutsche Bank in New York.

Sarena holds a B.A. from Wellesley College, where she studied Economics and Philosophy.

About

Sarena Ahmad joined Cisco Corporate Development in 2017 to focus on investments and acquisitions in the Data Center and Storage space. Prior to Cisco, Sarena was at Faraday Future, an electric vehicle start-up based in Los Angeles. Previously, she was in the Industrials Group at Deutsche Bank in New York.

Sarena holds a B.A. from Wellesley College, where she studied Economics and Philosophy.

Karim Anchassi

Associate

Karim Anchassi

Associate

Karim Anchassi

Associate

Region

US

Domain

Big Data

About

Karim Anchassi joined Cisco Investments in 2017 to focus on Big Data related investments and acquisitions. Before coming to Cisco, Karim was at Jefferies Technology Investment Banking Division in New York. At Jefferies, he has helped complete M&A, equity, and debt related transactions across various verticals.

Karim has graduated Magna Cum Laude from the McDonough School of Business at Georgetown University where he received a BS in Finance. He is fluent in English and Arabic and a member of Beta Gamma Sigma honors society.

About

Karim Anchassi joined Cisco Investments in 2017 to focus on Big Data related investments and acquisitions. Before coming to Cisco, Karim was at Jefferies Technology Investment Banking Division in New York. At Jefferies, he has helped complete M&A, equity, and debt related transactions across various verticals.

Karim has graduated Magna Cum Laude from the McDonough School of Business at Georgetown University where he received a BS in Finance. He is fluent in English and Arabic and a member of Beta Gamma Sigma honors society.

Ryan Petranovich

Associate

Ryan Petranovich

Associate

Ryan Petranovich

Associate

Region

US

Domain

Collaboration

About

Ryan Petranovich joined Cisco Corporate Development in 2015 to focus on investments and acquisitions relating to Cisco’s portfolio of Collaboration products and initiatives. Prior to Cisco, Ryan was part of the strategy team at Medallia, a customer experience management firm with headquarters in Palo Alto, and before that gained experience on a quantitative strategy and valuation consulting team at Duff & Phelps.

Ryan received a BA in Mathematics and a BA in Finance from the University of Washington.

About

Ryan Petranovich joined Cisco Corporate Development in 2015 to focus on investments and acquisitions relating to Cisco’s portfolio of Collaboration products and initiatives. Prior to Cisco, Ryan was part of the strategy team at Medallia, a customer experience management firm with headquarters in Palo Alto, and before that gained experience on a quantitative strategy and valuation consulting team at Duff & Phelps.

Ryan received a BA in Mathematics and a BA in Finance from the University of Washington.

Arnav Sahu

Associate

Arnav Sahu

Associate

Arnav Sahu

Associate

Region

US

Domain

Internet of Things

About

Arnav joined Cisco Investments in 2017 and focuses on investment and acquisition opportunities in the IoT space. Before joining Cisco, Arnav worked at The Blackstone Group in New York. Arnav earned a BA in Economics at Cornell University, where he was a Tata Scholar.

About

Arnav joined Cisco Investments in 2017 and focuses on investment and acquisition opportunities in the IoT space. Before joining Cisco, Arnav worked at The Blackstone Group in New York. Arnav earned a BA in Economics at Cornell University, where he was a Tata Scholar.

Peter Shih

Associate

Peter Shih

Associate

Peter Shih

Associate

Region

US

Domain

Security and Security Services

About

Peter Shih joined Cisco Corporate Development in 2015 to focus on cybersecurity-related investments and acquisitions. Before coming to Cisco, Peter was at Satori Capital, an operationally-focused private equity fund based in Dallas, TX. At Satori, he helped complete transactions in a variety of industries and provided operational support. Prior to Satori, Peter worked at Aeris Partners, a technology M&A advisory firm based in Boston, MA.

Peter holds a BA from Amherst College where he majored in Law, Jurisprudence, and Social Thought and Economics.

Portfolio

About

Peter Shih joined Cisco Corporate Development in 2015 to focus on cybersecurity-related investments and acquisitions. Before coming to Cisco, Peter was at Satori Capital, an operationally-focused private equity fund based in Dallas, TX. At Satori, he helped complete transactions in a variety of industries and provided operational support. Prior to Satori, Peter worked at Aeris Partners, a technology M&A advisory firm based in Boston, MA.

Peter holds a BA from Amherst College where he majored in Law, Jurisprudence, and Social Thought and Economics.